Easter Blessings to you and all of yours.

I just wanted to do a quick post to wish you all a Happy Easter.  It's been a busy couple days.  I made a quick trip to town yesterday to restock calving supplies and groceries.  Today was a cleaning spree with many "I need help" interruptions.  I will have to get up early in the morning to bake buns and pie.  DD #1 has to work Easter Sunday, but will be off at 2. She will come home then as she has Monday off from school.  Always miss DD #2 extra on holidays--she lives in Florida.  We'll chat on the phone with her.  I am making dinner for DBIL, his girlfriend and his son.  It will be a small group of just 5 this year.  Everyone one else has plans and we need to stay home and watch cows    I plan on making a quick trip to baby sister's later in the day  to see the new grand baby--if things go well.   It is always IF, this time of year.  I hope you all enjoy your Easter celebration with family and/or friends.  We have so much to celebrate.............

He has risen!!

Hugs to all.......................

No fooling here

I'm always very careful on April Fool's Day.  My husband always fooled our girls a couple times and then they would catch on and he couldn't get them again.   I remember one morning when they were having breakfast before school and he came in and told them "we had a 2 headed calf last night".  They were both out the door fast, but quickly realized that he was fooling.  He hasn't got me yet, but there is 4 more hours to go.  Hope no one fooled you today.

I sewed 2 pinwheel blocks yesterday and got the purple/green ones cut out today.

I thought you might like to see how we are moving cattle now days.  We had more snow this winter than we have had for 14 years.  Our regular calving pasture is still too wet and muddy for the expectant mothers, so we continue to keep them in the fall/winter pasture.   When a cow has a baby, it gets a little ride to its new home in the "calf cage".  DH loads them up and ear tags them (same number as mom). The calf cage also provides protection for DH from loving moms, who don't love DH.  

A good mom will follow the calf anywhere we take him.  By using the cage the little guys, don't get tired out being moved.  So off we go to the nursery.

DH drives slowly so mom can see and smell the baby.  Rocco and I follow behind in the Yukon--just in case mom decides to take off.  Most older cows follow well.  It is mostly 1st calf heifers who have no idea what they are suppose to do that won't follow.   Sometimes in that case, we chase mom to the pen and bring the baby to her.

The new pair are in a dry and safe place.  The little shelter is for the calves, if it rains.  Hopefully, the calving pasture will be dried out next week and we can move all the expectant cows there.  It will be closer to home and the barns.

Tomorrow is the first Friday of the month.  Kaaren--The Painted Quilt blog does a first Friday Freebie.  She is so nice to share her talent every month with a new stitchery design.  I look forward to it.  I made her Easter sampler last month and framed it.  If I make it again, I will put a cross instead of the carrot.  I wish I had thought of that sooner.             I put her button on my blog to share with you, if you didn't know about her yet.  I like to embroider in the evening while DH takes control of the remote.     I hope you will visit Kaaren's blog if you haven't before.    A hug for you..............

Jelly Roll Block 3

I got the Jelly Roll quilt block done yesterday afternoon.

I thought this block design needed to have contrast to really "pop".   I haven't ever made blocks like this before.  It was so easy--no seams to match.  Something else I like was the way the seams on the back all press down so neatly.  I love when that happens and everything lays so nice and flat.  I get thrilled easily as you can see.  This quilt along has been fun and meeting the people who are designing the blocks is a nice bonus.  This is only block 3, so you can still catch up, if you have a jelly roll you want to use.  One new block every 2 weeks.  I put the button on the side--new thing to learn for me.  Not sure I did it right, but it works. 

We  had 2 babies yesterday.  Our 1 long horn cow had her baby--a cute little reddish black heifer. Most of our cows are Black Angus/Simmental cross.  My BIL brought this long horn to us about 12 years ago. It's always a mystery what her calf will look like.  Last year she had a little spotted one like herself.  Here is a picture of the long horn.  I need to start carrying my camera, so I can take some baby pictures for you. Tomorrow is April 1st and that is when we are suppose to start with the calving season. 

I thought I would introduce you to Miss Puss today.  I found her in the barn 9 years ago.  She had been abandoned and was starving.  I was never sure who her mom was.  We were new empty nesters and she filled the nest.  DH always had the girls to pick on and he needed someone new to entertain him.  Puss is a total inside cat.  She is somewhat of a fraidy cat, so she watches the world out the window.  She has no interest in going out that door.  She is also a hands off cat--she will tolerate maybe 1 or 2 strokes, but then she'll let you know  "hands off".  She hasn't been too pleased with the additions to the household this last year.  She tolerates them from a distance.  As long as she has DH's lap at night, she is content .

She has always liked the high places.  At least she keeps the top of the cupboards dusted for me.                   

DH still has lots of fence to fix, so I'll just be checking moms today.  I plan to cut out and start sewing the blocks for the Pinwheel Sampler quilt along at psiquilt.  I am using a Blush layer cake and also making a scrappy green and purple set, so I have 4 blocks to make.  These blocks have been fun, but there are points to match.  I like pinwheel blocks.  This is a weekly quilt along.  I am trying to stay on task, so I don't get behind.  I've found it really motivates me to keep up and post on flicker.  It's so much fun to see all the different colors that people are using. 

That's it for today.  I'm off to start a load of laundry and pick up a little.  I need to enjoy some sun today, because rain is predicted for tomorrow.  It was just starting to get dried up in the yard, but we all know  April showers bring May flowers.  I hope you get to do something you like today.  A hug for you.........

It was a late night.

It was 1:00 am before we got to bed last night or I should say this morning.  One of our 1st calving heifers needed assistance with her first birth.  She wasn't very cooperative going to the calving barn.  As you can see it is very wet and muddy yet here.  There is deeper snow in our regular calving lot, so the herd is still in fall pasture south of our house.

This is a photo of our new cow chaser.  So we chased J8 to the barn and set her up in the calving suite.  We gave her some time to do her thing.  Then  DH and I worked to assist her, but had to call the vet in from the town 30 miles south.  He got here around 11:00 pm and performed a c-section.  This morning J8 and baby are doing well.  I hope that is our 1st and last vet visit of the season. 

Today I hope to sew block #3 of the Jelly Roll Quilt Along over at Moose Quilts.  I am using a Blush Basic Grey jelly roll.  I love the colors and designs.  Here are pictures of block 1 and 2.  It will just depend on my DH's schedule and the cows. 

I am looking forward to daughter #1 coming home for Easter break. She will be home at least 2 days. DD 1 is attending nursing school and working at a nursing home too. She is very busy, but has asked for Easter off and she has Monday off from school. Rocco, her little chihauhau will be so excited to see her. He seems very happy with us, but goes nuts when she comes home to visit.

Thank you to every one that has signed up as a follower and for the kind comments.  I better get something done around here so I can cut and sew later.  Have a great day.  A hug for you....... 

A little gift and a thank you

  I didn't even know I was entering a giveaway when I became a follower of Razzy's Special Place.  Razzy emailed me for my address and let me know I was a "winner".  Last Saturday when I went to get the mail there was a surprise for me.  It was wrapped and had a sweet little card too.

Thank you Razzy for the cute little card wallet you made.  I love the colors.  I know it will be very handy for me to use.  This is my first blog prize.

I want to thank Razzy and Eli for encouraging me to start blogging.  I had been alittle afraid to jump right in.   I am like that--always letting my fears hold me back.  I am working to overcome that in my quilting.  Encouragement from others really helps.  I'm not sure why I let my fears spoil my fun, but I am learning sometimes its better to not play it safe all the time.  When it comes to quilting and blogging I am going to be more adventurous from now on.

I finished up my Gifts of Grace block last night.  It is a free BOM from Val.  These are so fun to do.  My first blocks with beading.

I'm looking forward to the end of the month.  All new block patterns to look forward to.  It is a beautiful sunny day here today.  I need to check on the cows and enjoy some sunshine.  Until later--Hugs to you.

This is a test.

This is a test to see if I can blog with a photo.  This is a picture of the wall hanging I designed and made for my baby sister for her birthday.   The colors match her decor.  Of course, she loved it!

 She lives about 40 miles from me on a ranch too.   I don't see her very often.  She is a nurse and is going to school to be a nurse practitioner.  She is always studying and writing papers.   I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers.  One sister and brother older and one sister and brother younger--that puts me right in the middle.  What do they say about middle children?  

Now to see if I passed the test.

A New Learning Experience

This is the first post of my blogging experience.  It is a new learning experience for me.  I have been reading blogs for about a year now.  As I've gotten to feel like I know the people I read about I have felt the need to leave comments and enter give aways.  It amazes me that these quilters have time to do all that sewing and blog too.  This year I am taking advantage of all the free BOMs and quilt alongs.  I have joined flicker groups.  I want to join the "party" and have a blog too.  I'm not sure if this is the best time to start this new adventure, because we are just starting calving season.  I will be very busy, but this seems like the right time.  I have people to thank and things to talk about.  I also know that I will be home the month of April and this will be something fun to learn about.  I love learning new things. And I like meeting new people.  I am really kind of shy, so this type of meeting seems easier.  Quilters and bloggers have impressed me as friendly people.  I have just jumped in, so I still need to learn about posting photos and linking things.  After I get more proficient, I plan on having my first post giveaway.  A hug for you -- Janet